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Spotted Green Pufferfish

Spotted Green Puffer ~ Green Spotted Puffer ~ Spotted Puffer Family: Tetraodontidae

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Tetraodon nigroviridis Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   In general freshwater puffers are rarer than saltwater puffers, but the Spotted Green Puffer is one of the most commonly available... and this fish is a most popular attraction!

   The Spotted Green Puffer is a very cute adorable little fish. It is very playful, active, and curious making it a joy to watch. It has a great personality as well and will come to recognize its owner, getting excited when it sees you.

   Although this puffer will do well if kept singly as it can be an aggressive fin-nipper, it can also be kept with others of its own kind as well as other species. Be certain that for a community setting you choose large non-aggressive tank mates and a good sized aquarium.

   Provide plants and rockwork arranged in such a way that they break the line of sight and offer hiding places, but still provide open areas swimming. The natural habitat of this fish is in fresh to brackish waters. You can see on the distribution map below where it has been discovered. Like most brackish water fish, it can be acclimated to a full saltwater environment. Some hobbyists believe this is the best environment for it as it matures..

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Spotted Green Puffers are found in Asia; Sri Lanka to Indonesia and north to China.They inhabit freshwater to brackish coastal estuaries; streams, rivers, and floodplains where they are found singly or in small groups.

   NOTE: It is important that you distinguish which pufferfish you are purchasing as their water requirements vary considerably. The Spotted Green Puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis is often confused with its close relatives the Green Puffer or Ceylon Puffer Tetraodon fluviatilis, as well as the Freshwater Spotted Puffer Tetraodon schoutedeni.
   Though all three are spotted and have very similar coloration, the Spotted Green Puffer has a more rounded ball shaped body while the Green Puffer's body is more elongated. The Spotted Green Puffer and the Green Puffer are readily available in the industry, while the Freshwater Spotted Puffer reportedly hasn't been available in the industry for a number of years.

Status:
   These fish are not endangered.

Description:
   The Spotted Green Puffer has a stout rounded body shape with small spines. The face is very cute, having a smallish mouth topped by slightly bulging eyes and a broad forehead . Like many of the pufferfish, the coloring of the Spotted Green Puffer can vary. The adult is a beautiful rich green on top with dark spots and a whitish belly. In juveniles the green is less colorful.
   Pufferfish have the ability to 'puff' themselves up with water or air if threatened. When they inflate, their spines protrude outward and this apparently helps keep them from being eaten. Another defense of many puffer species is to produce toxic substances in their flesh that is poisonous if eaten. The Pufferfish can be quite long lived in the aquarium, many living for 10 or more years.

Size - Weight:
   These fish can grow up to 6 3/4 inches (17 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The Spotted Green Puffers are omnivores, though a large part of their diet is meaty foods. In their natural environment they will eat various invertebrates, crustaceans and mollusks, but they also eat some vegetation.They are not difficult to feed as they will usually eat a variety of flake, frozen, and live foods including shrimp, ghost shrimp (gut-loaded), bloodworms, freeze-dried krill, crabs, brine shrimp, and snails.
   Puffers have strong teeth that grow throughout their lives, so are prone to overgrown teeth. Offer hard shelled live food often to keep the teeth worn down. Feeding snails daily will help to wear down the teeth. If the teeth get too long, they will be unable to eat, requiring the owner to clip the teeth.
   Since puffers do not have gill covers or scales, they are thought to be more susceptible to diseases, nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels. Like all puffers, this puffer is not a good fish to cycle an aquarium with. Also because they usually don't eat all of their food (messy eaters!), these fish will usually put more load on the aquarium filtration requiring more frequent water changes and better maintenance in general. A generous weekly water change of 30% to 50% is the standard recommendation for a puffer aquarium.
   A 20 gallon aquarium will work well for this puffer, however if you want to keep more than one or some other species with them, a well planted 50 - 60 gallon aquarium is better. Provide plenty of plants and rockwork for retreats as well as open areas for swimming. This puffer fish is a freshwater to brackish species and adding aquarium salt is suggested. But like many of the brackish species, the Spotted Green Puffer can be acclimated to hard, alkaline fresh water or it can be acclimated to a saltwater environment.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   The Spotted Green Puffer will swim in the bottom and middle areas of your aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Temp: 75° - 82° F (24 - 28°C)
   pH: 7.5 to 8.5
   Hardness: 9 - 19 dH (medium to medium hard)

Social Behaviors:
   Like all the pufferfish, the Green Spotted Puffer can vary greatly in temperament from one individual to another. They are generally regarded as aggressive fin-nippers and often kept singly. However they can be kept in a community setting with others of their own species as well as other large non-aggressive species. In a community setting, be sure there is plenty of room and that the aquarium is well planted. It can also have a variety of other decor such as rocks and roots. Place the decor in a manner that breaks their line of site and provides plenty of retreats for all the fish.

Sexual Differences:
   Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Has not been bred commercially in captivity, but possibly bred successfully by hobbyists. Research indicates that the female will lay approximately 200 eggs on a smooth, protected surface. They are also known to guard the nest, notably the male.

Availability:
   The Spotted Green Puffers are commonly available.

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Latest Comments
Hi, I am writing because about 3 weeks ago I rescued 2 green spotted puffers,1 silver finned cat shark, and a clown fish from tenants who had abandoned the tank in the rental when they left. They were in a salt water tank, so I gave the live rocks and the clown fish to a worker at a local pet store by me. I then acclimated the 2 gsp's and the shark to freshwater. They are doing well. I dont really see the really aggressive behavior. They are in my tank with a the cat shark, sucker fish, an african cichlid, 1 lemon oscar and 4 parrot fish. The parrot fish and the cichlid swim right next to them and they don't do anything. I do see the tail of the shark has been torn up, but I can only assume that it happened becuase I dont know how long they were abandoned for with no food, also the tank they were in was so filthy, covered completely with algea. mel 2009-10-16
I got two green spotted puffers about two weeks ago. One of them is doing fine but the other one is getting me worried. Around its eye is turning red and now it's other eye is starting to do that too. If this has happened to anyone else please help. Anonymous 2009-09-27
Puffers are fun to train. If your puffer likes to bite you, try holding baby feeder fish by their tail so that it's just barely in the water, and soon you can train them to jump up to get the food. Soon you can add a hoop that sits right on the water and by holding the food on one side just above the water, it will 'jump' thru the hoop. If it's like mine it will clumsily 'lumber' over the hoop to get the food because a puffer will do anything for food. Use your new flip mino HD camcorder to post HI-Def you-tube videos.. Plan a new session of "live fish training" jay 2009-09-15
I got a GSP abot two weeks ago it is SO cute. He comes to see me when I come in the room now. I got a 20gal tank off of a friend and it came with some fish, 6 neons a corycat, 6 big snails, a bumblebee goby, and a Betta. My puffer started eating the betta's tail off, so I put the betta in a 1 1/2gal tank, he is doing better. I got some free small snails from petsmart since my puffer killed the bigger ones, he just doesn't know when to stop eating! He ate soo much I thought he was going to burst. I read a few of the other people's comments and one expecially caught my eye, I heard if the puffer puffs even a little bit out of the water, the air can be hard for it to expel and you have to burp it..holding it gently by the tail or lower body until the air bubble comes out. This doesnt always work, and the trapped air can cause it to eventually die... Irene 2009-09-01
I got a Figure 8 Puffer fish with 2 Guppies originally. I then added 5 neons, a Small Shark and 5 Platies. I got up the other day and my puffer had 2 lumps in his belly and I had 2 neons missing. The following day I had half a neon that had been fought over by all the fish. The puffer then attacked my butterfly guppy, it then floated away and the puffer charged at it to finish it off. After I removed the guppy, the puffer then went on to attack my biggest platie, I then removed my puffer and my remaining fish are now happy again! Anonymous 2009-08-30
Some of the coolest comments:
To the person with the comment about the belly changing to black. A friend of mine had a spotted puffer for a couple of years that would regularly change his belly from cream to black, like a chameleon they change color as they see fit(so I'm told). I just bought 2 spotted and a figure 8 today, very excited to have these little guys. nick 2009-04-19
I wish people would quit about brackish requirements for keeping Spotted Green Puffers. It has no factual bases. The Spotted Green Puffer is an amazing fish. In their natural habitat they breed and spawn in Brackish water. However, adults typically migrate to freshwater. Adult Spotted Green Puffers have been found in Marine, Brackish and Freshwater habitats. They will do just fine in a freshwater tank. However, you can't just take one which has been living in brackish or marine environment and drop them into a freshwater environment. The reverse is also true. As long as you provide a clean freshwater environment with hardwater and a slightly higher ph, this great fish will do just fine. Don't spit out information you read on the internet from people whom have no idea what they're talking about. TT 2008-11-28
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
What a useful website this is! - I love puffers and recently purchased a GSP for my living room aquarium. Unfortunately, it was immediately aggressive towards by Congo tetras and Rams (killing one and injuring another + it also attacked one of my horse faced loaches). I moved the tetras and other rams to another tank and the GSP appears to have settled down now alongside my kribensis, golden algae eater and the horse faced loaches). Despite this, it is still my favourite fish and can't wait to get a few more!! Angus Burns 2009-07-11
I just bought 4 of these guys. I need to get a bigger tank apparently, lol, but they seem really neat. I can't wait to get a bigger tank. Thanks for all the info! I would have never known about the teeth getting too big. But I like em, greens my color and green bay is my team. I'm gonna buy a little helment for them to swim in! BOW CHICKA YEA! Thanks Marcus 2009-07-10
My first puffer died within 3 days. Got another within that time, but the first was dead before they got acquainted. The second is strong but I learned a lot here about water change. I am feeding flake food and have it with a bottom feeder and an algae eater. I got another puffer yesterday and she doesn't seem like she's gonna make it. The 2nd one bit me and my husband didn't believe it until he read this site. It's only a 5 gallon tank. We just want a fun aquarium and don't plan on adding any others. Suggestions.. jenna jenna d 2008-10-26

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